1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data transfer system and, particularly, to a system for, and method of, downloading data from a host to terminals by radio through a base station.
2. Description of the Related Art
Supermarkets and department stores employ exclusive-use data terminals such as point-of-sale (POS) terminals to manage commodities. The terminals are connected by radio to a base station installed on, for example, the ceiling of the sales floor, and the base station is connected to a commodity distribution center having a host computer. When requested, the terminals download master data such as the numbers and prices of commodities from the host computer through the base station.
A store usually has electromagnetic obstacles such as metal exhibits and steel firewalls to prevent the terminals from communicating with the base station. If a terminal held by a clerk in the store cannot communicate with the base station due to such obstacles, the clerk must move to another location where communication is possible, or the obstacles must be removed or rearranged so that the clerk may communicate with the base station.
Forcing the clerk to move to another spot reduces the effectiveness of the clerk. If the obstacles must be removed or rearranged, it limits the locations able to exhibit commodities and creates areas where no commodities can be placed.